


Day 4 - Storm

by elizathecat



Series: Thorbruce Week 2019 [3]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Autistic Bruce Banner, Developing Relationship, M/M, Thunderstorms, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-25 02:04:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21348460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizathecat/pseuds/elizathecat
Summary: Thor realises his powers could be dangerous for his new mortal friends, but Bruce and Hulk help
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Thor
Series: Thorbruce Week 2019 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538995
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26
Collections: Thorbruce Week 2019





	Day 4 - Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Some good old 2012 post-avengers fic because it's what we all need. Also I like thunderstorms.

Thor approached Bruce in the common room one day looking uncharacteristically nervous, and sat very carefully on the opposite end of the couch. Bruce attempted to scoot closer, but stopped when Thor jerked backwards, shaking the whole couch. 

“What’s the matter?”

Thor shuffled his feet, clenching his hands together in his lap. “Well, uh…I’m…” He swallowed forcefully, face twisting as he attempted to get the words out.

“Hey, its ok, you don’t have to s-”

“How do you do it?” Thor interrupted, immediately looking contrite. “My apologies, this is possibly not a polite question.”

Bruce turned to face Thor, fixing his gaze on a little braid running just above his ear. “I don’t mind, I’d like to try and help you. But uh, I can’t promise I’ll be able to answer.” He smiled sheepishly, running his thumb down a seam on his jeans.

“How do you… be around people like this? Knowing they’re so fragile. How are you not terrified?” 

Bruce immediately stopped leaning towards Thor, tucking his arms into his sides. It had only been a matter of time before someone felt they had to ask about their safety, even among a group of superheroes, but it still hurt. “I’ve had a lot of practise, you don’t need to worry.”

“…What?”

Bruce looked up. Why did Thor look confused? “I’m always scared of hurting people, but I’ve had a long time to get used to The Other Guy and I know how to keep him in. You’re safe.”

“No!” Thor lunged towards Bruce, stopping abruptly and instead patting Bruce’s knee awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to question your ability to keep us safe. I uh…” he trailed off, pressing his fists against his thighs. He took a breath. “I admire it. Banner, I can feel the lightning under my skin constantly and everyone around me is so terribly mortal. I asked Stark about the device in his chest and he told me I needed to be careful with my power around it and now I can’t stop thinking about hurting him.”

“Oh Thor…” Bruce shuffled where he sat, unsure how to make Thor feel better and why was he patting him on the shoulder? Surely this wasn’t the right way to go about it? But what else could he do? Maybe…“Um, maybe it’s practise, like I said? I could help you practise being precise and stopping the lightning when you need to?”

It seemed to take a while to filter through Thor’s mind, but he eventually turned and smiled at Bruce. “I think I’ll do that. But you don’t need to help.”

“I want to. And you uh… can’t exactly hurt me.” Bruce resumed patting Thor’s shoulder, hoping that may have been part of what made him feel better. Thor matched Bruce’s wry smile and reached up to grip his wrist, caught in the mutual understanding of two beings more durable than they had any right to be.

“Are you sure this is ok Banner?” Thor asked weeks later. They were in a remote field Tony had found, no one else around for miles. “I know it’s uncomfortable for you.”

That was an understatement, but Bruce made himself smile. “We both get to practise like this. It’s more efficient.”

“Oh well if it’s more efficient...” Thor mocked, nudging Bruce with his elbow and grinning affectionately. He turned his back politely, feeling it best to allow Bruce privacy for the change, turning back and lifting Mjolnir when he heard the questioning grunt of The Hulk behind him. The sky responded to his call, dark clouds rolling over and releasing torrents of rain so heavy the pair could hear it hitting the ground around them, even over the snarling thunder.

Hulk roared at the thunder overhead, but jumped on the spot a few times in anticipation. “Come on, do it!” he yelled at Thor, who narrowed his eyes in concentration before summoning the lightning down to hit the ground in a wide circle around the two of them. “YES!” Hulk started to run, weaving around the few trees present while lightning danced between the sky and earth using Thor as a conductor. One strike hit a small sapling, setting it ablaze and Hulk laughed delightedly, stopping momentarily to admire the flames.  
The two of them played for hours, Thor’s confidence increasing, striking increasingly close to the moving obstacle of the Hulk but never hitting him. Both of them were drenched to the skin, the trees bowing as the wind shrieked around them. 

Hulk stalked towards Thor, lightning beating a path into the ground around him as the sky growled. He grabbed the god around the waist, laughing when bolts of electricity shot up his arms. He traced one great hand down Thor’s arm, chasing the remaining sparkles of power as the storm overhead continued to rage.

“Blondie good, Banner says his turn.” Tiny crackles emitted from Thor’s hair as he shook his head, unwilling to risk hurting his soft scientist. “Yes.” Hulk said firmly. “Hulk come back if zapped.” And without any further warning he was shrinking in Thor’s arms. Thor quickly wrapped his miraculously dry cape around Bruce, protecting him from the wind and rain.

Bruce opened his eyes, groaning. “Ready to try again? I, uh, won’t be as energetic as the other guy.” He laughed self-consciously, taking a step back from Thor and sinking to the ground, huddling himself into the cape.

Thor took a deep breath and nodded. “Ready.”

As the wind whipped around them and rain poured down, Bruce sat toasty warm in Thor’s cape. His hair was plastered to his forehead and water was dripping from his nose, but he rocked gently from side to side, tapping his fingers rhythmically on his knees and watching the lightning streak through the sky in interlinking patterns. Here in the centre of the storm, the thunder was loud enough to shake the ground and Bruce pressed his hands to it, delighting in the vibrations he could feel in his chest.

Thor’s look of intense concentration was back, keeping his lightning far enough from Bruce that he wouldn’t get shocked from the ground up but the sheer power radiating from him made the air feel alive. 

Bruce laughed, extending a hand out from under the cape and waving it to feel the crackles. “You’re good at this!” He yelled to Thor over the fearsome noise of the sky.  
Thor grinned, narrowing his eyes one final time to create a ring of interlinking strikes around the two of them before dropping to the ground and letting the storm carry on without his influence. Bruce shuffled over to him and tentatively put one end of the cape over Thor’s shoulder, yelping at the static.

“Do you feel better?” Bruce asked, leaning closer to absorb Thor’s warmth. His arm tingled where it pressed against Thor’s, though whether it was the touch or the residual electricity he couldn’t tell. 

“I do. Thank you Banner.” His voice rumbled through Bruce, making him shudder, and Thor must have thought he was cold as he put an arm around Bruce’s waist to pull him closer. Bruce wiggled happily, chuckling when Thor did the same.

“You’re welcome,” he smiled, “I had fun. The Hulk had fun.” He tilted his head back, resting it on Thor’s shoulder and admiring the storm raging overhead. He wanted to tell Thor how amazing he was, but stopped himself. Perhaps that was a conversation for when they were less damp.


End file.
